


To Play At Questions

by Jennifer-Oksana (JenniferOksana)



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Chatlogs, F/M, Literary References & Allusions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 17:25:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5674417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniferOksana/pseuds/Jennifer-Oksana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mulder and Scully play a game over the Internet. And it's not exactly cybersex, sorry. (Also, this fic is from 1999 and was like my *fourth* fic ever, so be kind to it in its old age)</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Play At Questions

**Author's Note:**

> “What a fine persecution– to be kept intrigued without ever quite being  
> enlightened…(pause). We’ve had no practice.”
> 
> “We could play at questions.”
> 
> “What good would that do?”  
> -Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

  
Saturday Night  
9:34 PM  
Dana Scully’s apartment

Dana Scully sighed as she clicked on her newly downloaded AOL Instant  
Messenger. Her apartment was empty, she was alone, and the radio was  
making fun of her.

“Another Saturday night and I ain’t got nobody, I got some money cause I  
just got paid, now how I wish I had someone to talk to, I’m in an awful  
way,” the damned thing sang. It echoed her thoughts vaguely. Except- she  
did have someone to talk to. One person. The same damn person all the  
time.

“DKS1121, online and ready to go,” she muttered to herself. She started  
with her first Instant Message to fmluder69– the name Mulder had chosen  
for himself– typical Mulder, adding in the double entendre.

Calmly, she watched as her words went on screen.

DKS1121: Okay, I got this thing going, what’s so great about it?

Scully waited a moment, then her computer beeped. Mulder’s reply was below  
hers.

fmluder69: It’s quicker than email, and we’re not on the phone. It’s kind  
of an in-between.

Scully raised an eyebrow at that, and then typed in her response.

DKS1121: What, you don’t like the sound of my voice?

fmluder69: No, that’s not it. It’s just– a change of pace. For the  
record, I think you have a sexy voice, even when you’re singing. ;)

DKS1121: LOL, Mulder. So do you have a plan for this, or are we just going  
to banter with text instead of voice tonight?

Scully waited a little longer than she’d expected for a response.

fmluder69: I do have an idea. Do you want to play at questions?

DKS1121: Questions? What do you mean?

fmluder69: Did you ever see that play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are  
Dead by Tom Stoppard? That’s what we could do. If you wanted.

DKS1121: Oh. I’m game. So how do we begin?

fmluder69: Begin what?

DKS1121: Begin the game.

fmluder69: Statement! One-love.

DKS1121: Do I get a do-over?

fmluder69: Why should you get a do-over?

DKS1121: Don’t you think, for fairness’ sake, I need a do-over?

fmluder69: Don’t you think that’s a little juvenile?

DKS1121: Do you think fairness is a juvenile concept?

fmluder69: Are you asking me?

DKS1121: Is there anyone else?

fmluder69: Do you think we’re alone out here?

DKS1121: Are you being rhetorical?

fmluder69: Are you serious?

DKS1121: Should I count that as rhetoric?

fmluder69: Were you keeping count?

DKS1121: What am I supposed to be counting?

fmluder69: Don’t you know?

DKS1121: What are you asking?

fmluder69: Do you love me?

DKS1121: Foul! No non-sequiturs! One-all.

fmluder69: Are you in love with me?

Scully looked at the screen, and paused. Was he being serious? She had  
been enjoying the barrage of questions, it had been a fun change of pace.  
Now she wasn’t sure if he was playing or using this to gage her  
response toward– that. Scully decided to play it as another one of the  
questions.

DKS1121: What sort of love?

fmluder69: Is there more than one sort?

DKS1121: Do you think there is?

fmluder69: What do you mean?

DKS1121: What were we talking about?

fmluder69: Don’t you know?

DKS1121: Was it about love?

fmluder69: Are you serious?

DKS1121: Do you really want to know?

fmluder69: Do I want to know if you love me?

DKS1121: Why are you asking?

fmluder69: Why won’t you answer?

DKS1121: Don’t you want an honest answer?

fmluder69: What does that have to do with anything?

DKS1121: Does that mean you love me?

fmluder69: Does that bother you?

DKS1121: Am I supposed to take that as answer?

fmluder69: Are you afraid to give me an answer?

DKS1121: Are you playing a game here?

fmluder69: Are you sure you want an answer?

DKS1121: Do you think I’m afraid to be loved?

fmluder69: Do you think that I love you?

DKS1121: Do you love me?

fmluder69: Foul. Repetition. Two-one.

Scully let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. The  
bastard. That meant he’d been joking about the love thing. Didn’t it? She  
drummed her fingers on the desk, and typed out her next question.

DKS1121: So you’re not really serious?

fmluder69: On what topic?

DKS1121: Is it true love?

fmluder69: Are you asking me?

DKS1121: Weren’t you asking first?

fmluder69: What did I ask?

DKS1121: What’s between us?

fmluder69: Would you say that it’s friendship?

DKS1121: Don’t you think it’s more than that?

fmluder69: Are we talking love?

DKS1121: What sort of love?

fmluder69: Do you believe in romantic love?

DKS1121: Can I take that to mean that you consider it romance?

fmluder69: Do you think it’s less than romance?

DKS1121: Do you think romance is a superior form of love?

fmluder69: Can’t you give me an honest answer?

Scully, squirming at the barrage of questions, seized on Mulder’s response  
like a drowning victim to salvation.

DKS1121: Repetition and non sequitur! Ha! Two-all, Mulder. Game point.

fmluder69: Do you understand how much you mean to me?

DKS1121: What do I mean to you, Mulder?

fmluder69: Do you trust me?

DKS1121: What do you mean by that?

fmluder69: Do you trust me with your life?

DKS1121: Don’t you know that?

fmluder69: Do you trust me with your secrets?

DKS1121: Does this feel like the world’s biggest runaround to you?

fmluder69: Do you want me to be frank?

DKS1121: Are you prolonging this to win the game?

fmluder69: Do you think a silly game is more important than you?

DKS1121: Why won’t you answer my question, then?

fmluder69: Which question?

DKS1121: What do I mean to you, Mulder?

fmluder69: You’re my partner. You’re my friend. You’re the best  
part of my life. I’m in love with you.

DKS1121: Was that really so hard?

fmluder69: I suppose not. Do you want to talk about this further?

DKS1121: You mean, like, live and in person?

fmluder69: Actually, I was thinking dead and in person, but your way  
sounds ever so much better…

DKS1121: Your place or mine?

fmluder69: Your place. Did you even really have to ask?

Scully grinned. He didn’t get it. Granted, it was good they were finally  
going to discuss “the whole relationship thing–” he loved her, she loved  
him, that had been a given, and about damn time they puzzled the whole  
mess out– but she was still playing the game while she was at it. About time  
she pulled one over on Spooky Mulder.

DKS1121: How long will it take you to get here?

fmluder69: To your place?

DKS1121: Where else would I be asking about, Mulder?

fmluder69: Normal amount of time. Why?

DKS1121: Don’t you want to ask me in person?

fmluder69: Oh. Oh yes.

DKS1121: Shouldn’t you be signing off now?

fmluder69: Okay, Scully. I’ll be right over. Love you. Mean it.

DKS1121: Oh, and Mulder?

fmluder69: Yeah?

DKS1121: Match point went to me. Now get your G-man ass over here. Love  
you, too.

With that, Scully signed off of Instant Messenger. She felt ever so much  
better, and she began singing along with the radio–

“You know you make me want to shout– kick my heels up and shout, Throw my  
head back and shout– Come on now–”

 


End file.
